Childhood Revisited

As Foolish Today as Any

Anyone who has read much of what I have written will know that I am fond of holidays, I like the cycle of the year and have an appreciation for traditions! April Fools Day is no exception, I have great memories of pranks from through the years. If you really know me then you know that teasing, joking and humor in general are part of my DNA handed down from my father. Dry wit and sarcasm are among my gifts and I have no discretion over when and where to use them. My brothers will vouch for the fact that while at the Cremation Society preparing for my mother’s funeral I really startled the funeral director. After preparing the obituary he mentioned the timing for the actual cremation. His reaction was priceless when I pushed back from the table and exclaimed “We’re having her cremated?!!!” in mock horror. Only my brother’s laughter calmed the poor gentleman. I like making my brothers laugh and it oddly struck me as the perfect time to lighten things up.

April Fools Day is different, there are often amateurs at work. Sometimes people don’t get it right. To me an April Fool’s joke should strike a balance, achieve a gotcha moment that is funny without being mean-spirited. You don’t fake an injury or death or start an unkind rumor. I’m not saying these things don’t happen, I am simply saying that those are not my favored ways to celebrate the day.

I like the tradition of the guy I went to high school with that married a classmate of mine, every year he puts a rubber band around the kitchen sink sprayer and douses his wife as she turns on the faucet the first of April annually. It’s humorous, harmless and as I noted, it’s tradition.

One of the many things I don’t like about being unemployed is not going to work on April Fools Day. I like the energy of the day in general. While I can appreciate some of the shenanigans from here at my computer, it simply is not the same as witnessing reactions in person. The first effort I saw today was the University of Minnesota posting that Goldy Gopher the mascot was retiring to spend more time with family. While a few feigned outrage, there were more of us that played along by extending the joke. I commented that he had undergone a DNA test and was actually a chipmunk (which I have always felt he has more closely resembled) and that the family angle was BS because everyone knows he’s got a thing going with Sally (the “sexy squirrel” mascot of Sally’s Saloon in Stadium Village). Then there was the email for a phone app that would allow you to taste foods by simply licking the screen of my phone. Good effort and again I would rather be seeing people in action reacting to this one.

I do feel badly for people who want to announce they are pregnant, genuinely suffer the loss of a loved one or have a legitimate life event that occurs on April first. A childhood friend won an event earlier today and some people questioned if he was joking or not. I got the automated call that a prescription was ready today but I’m not going to go pick it up, just in case the pharmacists are trying to trick me.

I’ve attached a picture of a letter that arrived in the mail today. Seems that due to a problem with some business I have used my card at I need to cancel my card and activate a new one to prevent fraud. Only a fool would fall for that on April Fools Day. Glad to see a major banking institution like TCF has a sense of humor. Am I right?

*For those worried about my bank account please refer to paragraph one for sarcasm disclaimer. April Fools!